| Agnes Jebet Ngetich | |
| Nationality: | Kenyan |
| Birth Date: | 23 January 2001 |
| Country: | Kenya |
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event: | Long-distance running |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Agnes Jebet Ngetich (born 23 January 2001)[1] is a Kenyan long-distance runner. She won two medals at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships with bronze in the senior women's race and team gold.[2] In January 2024, with a time of 28:46, she set the 10 km run world record in Valencia, breaking the previous record by 28 seconds. En route to this time, Ngetich also broke the 5 km run world record, splitting 14:13 at 5 km which was 6 seconds faster than the previous world record.[3] [4] Ngetich also holds the second fastest half marathon mark in history, at 1 hour 3 minutes and 4 seconds.[5]
At the age of 16, Ngetich placed 8th in the 2017 Under-20 Kenya National Cross Country. That same year, she finished 6th in the World Youth Trials, clocking 9:13.0 over 3000 meters.[6]
In February 2018, Ngetich rose to 4th place in the Under-20 Kenya National Cross Country division. Shortly after, she secured another 4th position at the Under-20 Africa Cross Country Championship in Algeria, contributing to Kenya's Team Gold win.[7]
In March 2019, aged 18, Ngetich won the 5000 metres at the Kenya African Under-20 Trials.
In September 2022, Ngetich finished runner-up to Sheila Chepkirui at the Brasov Running Festival 10 km road race in Brașov, Romania.[8]
On 18 February 2023, aged 22, Ngetich won the bronze medal in the individual race and gold in the team standings at the World Cross Country Championships held in Bathurst, Australia.[9] [10] [11]
In September 2023, Ngetich broke the women-only world 10km record in the Transylvania 10km in Brasov, Romania, with a time of 29:24. This surpassed the previous mark of 30:01 set by Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach in 2021. Ngetich completed the first 5km in 14:25, which was four seconds faster than the previous women-only world record over this distance. The same month, the organizers of the run released a statement that the distance of the run was 25 m short which led to a non-record-eligible course.[12]
On 14 January 2024, Ngetich set a world record for the 10 km run by a woman in a mixed-gender race. At the 10K Valencia Ibercaja, she improved on the former world record of Yalemzerf Yehualaw by 28 seconds. Ngetich had a finishing time of 28:46, becoming the first woman to break the 29 minute barrier, on the roads or track. Her performance was faster than Letesenbet Gidey’s then-10,000 m world record of 29:01.03, and faster than the current 10,000 m world record of 28:54.14 set by Beatrice Chebet. She also improved the world record for the 5 km run by a woman in a mixed-gender race as she went through the 5km checkpoint in 14:13, 6 seconds faster than the previous record set by Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye in 2021.[4]
At the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Serbia she finished in fifth place as Kenya won team gold.[13]
On 27 October 2024, Ngetich won the Valencia Half Marathon in a time of 1 hour 3 minutes and 4 seconds, missing Letesenbet Gidey's world record of 1 hour 2 minutes and 52 seconds by 13 seconds. This time places Ngetich as the second fastest half marathon runner in history behind Gidey.
| Category | Event | Time | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor Track | 3000 m | 8:32.62 | Oslo | 15 June 2023 | |
| 5000 m | 14:36.70 | Paris | 9 June 2023 | ||
| 10,000 m | 31:34.83 | Budapest | 19 August 2023 | ||
| Road | Mile | 4:36.51 | Honolulu | 8 December 2018 | |
| 5 km | 14:13 | Valencia | 14 January 2024 | World record, en route to 10 km | |
| 10 km | 28:46 | World record | |||
| Half marathon | 1:03:04 | Valencia | 27 October 2024 | 2nd all time |